Thursday, April 19, 2012

Eviction scenes evocative of Famine times.

The newspapers today are full of scenes of the forcible eviction of an elderly couple from their family home.Thanks be to God the matter was witnessed by journalists and recorded on video,so that this barbaric and shameful practise,implemented in our name can receive the opprobrium it so richly deserves.The harrowing scenes involving the forcible eviction of an elderly couple by both female and male bailiffs is an indictment of our society and will conjure up for most people the vision of bailiffs accompanied by Redcoats putting poverty stricken people from their homes because of failure to pay rent.
Substitute Gardai for Redcoats and little has changed.At least then we could blame the Landlords for having recourse to the law,which was enacted for the benefit of the landlords and was used as an instrument of oppression .
Now we have no excuse.Now our Banks,which are ashamed to use their former names,and blew out money like confetti,are the motivators in this savagery,the Courts which facilitate it are our Courts,The Sheriffs who do it are appointed by our politicians,the Bailiffs who do the manhandling,male and female apparently are employed by our Sheriffs and the Gardai who are there to enforce the law are there in the same capacity as the redcoats.And our legislators preside over the whole sorry spectacle.
In this particular case the money involved is big.But the principle remains the same.It is only a matter of degree.There are thousands of people who through sickness ,unemployment or other circumstances ,caused in the main by the failure of the self same banks and State regulators ,find themselves unable to pay their debts.
And the precise same thing can happen to them.Don't think it won't happen to you.If the creditor wants it will.
I am personally aware that it has happened to local authority tenants ,including single mothers ,who for lack of funds or emergency cannot pay the rent.
In February 2011 I published an article in my blog"Policy on evictions and repossessions of domestic dwellings",which recorded the answers given by the party leaders on the Pat Kenny interview on 14/2/2011on the issue.
The answers given were :-

E.Kenny."Guarantee you won't lose your home."

E.Gilmore."Head off the bailiffs."

M.Martin."Increase mortgage interest relief and in no circumstances take the roof from over their heads"

G.Adams."No evictions in Ireland."

J.Gormley."Don't take roof from over their heads."

Empty vessels is right.

This is the reality of austerity and all turkeys should vote for more.

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